Dose Indicator Device for a Fluid or Powdery Product Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dose-indicator device for using with a dispenser device for dispensing fluid or powder, in particular a pharmaceutical, so as to indicate the number of doses that have been emitted or that remain to be emitted from the dispenser device, the indicator device comprising a first rotary disk ( 10 ) and a second rotary disk ( 20 ) that is preferably opaque, said first disk ( 10 ) including indicator numbers and/or symbols ( 11 ) that are disposed in peripheral manner about the axis of rotation (X) of said first rotary disk ( 10 ) around at least two concentric circles, and said second disk ( 20 ) including at least one viewing window ( 21 ).

The present invention relates to a dose-indicator device and to a fluidor powder dispenser device including such a dose-indicator device.

Dose-indicator devices are well known for indicating to the user thenumber of doses that have been emitted or that remain to be emitted froma fluid dispenser device, for example, such as a dry-powder inhaler orthe like. Indicator devices must satisfy a certain number ofrequirements. Thus, they must be absolutely reliable, i.e. indicate eachdose emitted, so as to avoid any risk of under-counting and/or ofover-counting. They must also be suitable for counting any number ofdoses, in particular a relatively high number of doses, such as sixtydoses, for example. In parallel, they must be as compact as possible, soas not to increase excessively the dimensions of the dispenser devicesto which they are associated. Naturally, they must be simple and fairlyeasy to manufacture and to assemble. They must also provide anunambiguous and clearly visible indication of the doses that have beenemitted or that remain to be emitted, e.g. through a viewing windowprovided in the indicator device. Known indicator devices generallypresent a certain number of drawbacks. A major drawback resides in thefact that while wishing to maintain an overall size that is as small aspossible for the indicator device, it must be possible to count a largenumber of doses, e.g. sixty, which generally results in the indicatornumbers or symbols that are to be read by the user being of very smallsize, with a risk that the user cannot clearly distinguish them, whichcan in particular be the situation when the user is an elderly person ora person with impaired vision. Depending on the kind of fluid or powderto be dispensed, it is essential for the user to be fully informed aboutthe number of doses that have been emitted or that remain to be emitted,so as to avoid discovering that an appliance is empty during an attackthat requires medication to be administered rapidly, for example. Awrong indication, or an indication that is not clearly legible, and thatrisks being misinterpreted by the user, therefore presents a risk.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dose-indicator devicethat does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide adose-indicator device that indicates in clearly visible manner thenumber of doses that have been emitted or that remain to be emitted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dose-indicatordevice that is as compact as possible, and in particular that hasdimensions that are as small as possible, while making it possible toindicate a large number of doses, e.g. about sixty.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicatordevice that is safe and reliable in use, and that is simple andinexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.

The present invention thus provides a dose-indicator device for usingwith a dispenser device for dispensing fluid or powder, in particular apharmaceutical, so as to indicate the number of doses that have beenemitted or that remain to be emitted from the dispenser device, theindicator device comprising a first rotary disk and a second rotary diskthat is preferably opaque, said first disk including indicator numbersand/or symbols that are disposed in peripheral manner about the axis ofrotation of said first rotary disk around at least two concentriccircles, and said second disk including at least one viewing window.

Advantageously, said second rotary disk includes viewing windows thatco-operate successively and/or alternately with indicator numbers and/orsymbols that are disposed around different concentric circles.

Advantageously, said second disk includes a plurality of viewing windowsthat are disposed in peripheral manner about the axis of rotation ofsaid second rotary disk around at least two concentric circles.

Advantageously, the number of concentric circles of indicator numbersand/or symbols on the first rotary disk is identical to the number ofconcentric circles of viewing windows on the second rotary disk.

Advantageously, said second disk includes at least one set of viewingwindows, each set comprising at least two windows that are mutuallyoffset both radially and peripherally.

Advantageously, said second disk includes a plurality of similar sets ofviewing windows that are distributed peripherally about the axis ofrotation of said disk.

Advantageously, the axes of rotation of the first and second rotarydisks are mutually offset.

Advantageously, the diameter of the first disk is greater than thediameter of the second disk.

Advantageously, said first and second rotary disks are tangential at apoint on their outer peripheries.

Advantageously, said second disk is superposed on said first disk, saidtwo disks co-operating with a stationary viewing slot of the device,such that a respective indicator number and/or symbol of the first diskis visible in said viewing slot, through a respective viewing window ofthe second disk.

Advantageously, the positions of the indicator numbers and/or symbols onthe first disk and the positions of the viewing windows on the seconddisk are predetermined, such that each time the device is actuated, asingle indicator number and/or symbol is visible in said stationaryviewing slot of the device, through a single viewing window of thesecond disk.

Advantageously, said first disk includes a first peripheral set of teeththat co-operates with actuator means that are adapted to cause saidfirst disk to turn about its axis of rotation and a second peripheralset of teeth, said second disk including a third peripheral set of teeththat co-operates with said second peripheral set of teeth of said firstdisk, such that turning the first disk causes the second disk to turn.

Advantageously, on said first disk, each indicator number and/or symboloccupies a space having a surface area of at least 8 square millimeters(mm²), advantageously at least 10 mm², and preferably at least 12 mm².

Advantageously, said first disk includes at least sixty indicatornumbers and/or symbols, advantageously sixty-three, distributed aroundthree concentric circles about the axis of rotation of the first disk.

Advantageously, said second disk includes twenty-one viewing windowsforming seven sets of three windows, said seven sets being distributedperipherally about the axis of rotation of the second disk, said threewindows of each set being mutually offset both radially andperipherally.

Advantageously, said first disk has a diameter of about 55 millimeters(mm) and/or the second disk (20) has a diameter of about 45 mm.

Advantageously, each time the device is actuated, the first disk (10) iscaused to turn through an angle α, and the second disk (20) is caused toturn simultaneously through an angle 3α/2.

Advantageously, the angle α is equal to 22.86° and the angle 3α/2 isequal to 34.28°.

The present invention also provides a fluid or powder dispenser deviceincluding a dose-indicator device as described above.

Advantageously, the indicator device is actuated each time the fluiddispenser device is actuated.

These characteristics and advantages and others of the present inventionappear more clearly from the following detailed description of anadvantageous embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example,and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a dose-indicator deviceconstituting an advantageous embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to the FIG. 1 view showing the first rotarydisk only;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to the FIG. 2 view showing a known rotary diskof the prior art;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view from below showing the actuator means ofthe indicator device; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to the FIG. 1 view showing an indicator deviceinstalled in a fluid or powder dispenser device.

The present invention relates to a dose-indicator device for using witha fluid or powder dispenser device, such as a dry-powder inhaler, andthat makes it possible to indicate to the user the number of doses thathave been emitted or that remain to be emitted. Naturally, the indicatordevice of the present invention applies to any type of fluid or powderdispenser device, such that the dispenser device is not described indetail below. Only the portions of the dispenser device that receive theindicator device, and the means for actuating said dispenser device aredescribed succinctly below. With this information, the person skilled inthe art is capable of applying the indicator device of the presentinvention to any chosen type of fluid or powder dispenser device.

With reference to the figures, the dose-indicator device of theinvention comprises a first rotary disk 10 and a second rotary disk 20.The second rotary disk 20 is preferably opaque, and it is preferablysuperposed on said first rotary disk 10. The axis of rotation X of thefirst rotary disk 10 is advantageously offset relative to the axis ofrotation Y of the second rotary disk 20, as can be seen in FIG. 1. Inaddition, the second rotary disk 20 preferably has a diameter that isless than the diameter of the first rotary disk 10. The first and secondrotary disks 10, 20 touch at a point on their outer peripheries, as canbe seen clearly in FIGS. 1 and 5.

The first rotary disk 10 includes indicator numbers and/or symbols 11that are disposed in peripheral manner about the axis of rotation Xaround at least two concentric circles, preferably around threeconcentric circles as shown in FIG. 2. The second rotary disk 20includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of viewing windows 21that advantageously co-operate successively and/or alternately withindicator numbers and/or symbols 11 that are disposed around differentconcentric circles of the first rotary disk 10. This embodiment, thatprovides indicator numbers and/or symbols that are radially offset,makes it possible to produce indicator numbers and/or symbols that arelarger, and therefore easier to read for the user. In particular, theembodiment shown in the figures and described in greater detail belowmakes it possible to provide indicator numbers and/or symbols that arecapable of occupying a space on the first rotary disk 10 of at least 8mm², advantageously at least 10 mm², and preferably at least 12 mm². Theembodiment shown in the figures, and in particular in FIG. 2, makes itpossible, in reality, to dispose the indicator numbers and/or symbols incircles that are 4 mm in diameter, thereby making a surface area of12.56 mm², or even in a square having sides that are 4 mm, i.e. asurface area of 16 mm². In comparison, FIG. 3 shows a rotary disk 10 ofthe same size, turning about an axis of rotation X and including thesame number of indicator numbers and/or symbols 11 distributed aroundits periphery around a single circle. In this event, each indicatornumber and/or symbol 11 occupies a circular surface area that is 2.6 mmin diameter, i.e. a surface area of 5.30 mm². At best, if squares ofside 2.6 mm are considered, the maximum surface area occupied by theindicator numbers and/or symbols 11 of the disk in FIG. 3 does notexceed 6.76 mm². Therefore, it should be observed that the presentinvention makes it possible to provide indicator numbers and/or symbolsthat are much larger, and therefore much more visible to the user. Therisk of the user misreading the indicator is therefore greatly reduced,or even completely eliminated.

Preferably, the second indicator disk 20 includes a plurality of viewingwindows 21 that are also disposed in peripheral manner about the axis ofrotation Y of the second rotary disk 20 around at least two concentriccircles, preferably around three concentric circles as shown in FIG. 1.The number of concentric circles provided for the indicator numbersand/or symbols 11 on the first rotary disk 10 is advantageously equal tothe number of concentric circles provided for the viewing windows 21 onthe second rotary disk 20. Naturally, the embodiment shown is only anexample, and a different number of concentric circles, e.g. two, four,or more, can be envisaged. The viewing windows 21 of the second rotarydisk 20 are advantageously disposed in at least one set E, each set Ecomprising at least two windows 21 that are mutually offset bothradially and peripherally. A plurality of similar sets E of viewingwindows are advantageously provided, said sets being distributedperipherally about the axis of rotation Y of the second rotary disk 20.In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, there are seven sets E, eachcomprising three viewing windows 21 that are mutually offset bothradially and peripherally.

The second rotary disk 20 is therefore superposed, preferably on thefirst rotary disk 10, and the two rotary disks co-operate with astationary viewing slot 30 of the device, so as to display an indicatornumber and/or symbol in said viewing slot 30, through a viewing window21 of the second rotary disk 20. The other indicator numbers and/orsymbols 11 are not visible to the user, being masked either by thesecond opaque disk 20, or by the portion of the dispenser devicesurrounding the stationary viewing slot 30. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, it is the symbol + and the number 2 that are displayed in theviewing slot 30. With reference to FIG. 2, it should be observed thatthe embodiment shown shows an indicator device in which counting-downtakes place from 60 to 0, the two strokes (or actuations) before thefirst real use representing priming and being marked by the indications+2 and +1, for showing the user that the first two actuations, that arelikely to form incomplete doses, or else that correspond to teststrokes, must not be inhaled. In this event and by way of example, theindications +1 and +2 can be shown in a different color code, possiblygreen. Similarly, towards the end, i.e. the last five doses to beemitted, the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 can also be shown in adifferent color code, e.g. red, so as to warn the user that the deviceis nearly empty. It should be observed that the distribution of theindicator numbers and/or symbols on the first rotary disk 10advantageously corresponds substantially to the distribution of theviewing windows 21 on the second rotary disk 20, in that successivenumbers are offset both radially, i.e. disposed around differentconcentric circles, and peripherally around the first rotary disk 10.

In operation, one of the two rotary disks turns while the fluiddispenser device is being actuated. The rotary disk in question ispreferably the first rotary disk 10. Coupling means are advantageouslyprovided between the first rotary disk 10 and the second rotary disk 20so as cause the second rotary disk 20 to turn simultaneously. On eachactuation, the first rotary disk 10 therefore turns relative to thestationary viewing slot 30 so as to display the following number in theviewing slot 30, and, simultaneously, the second rotary disk 20 alsoturns so as to come to co-operate with the appropriate number of thefirst rotary disk, while masking the remainder of the viewing slot 30.In practice, in the embodiment shown having three concentric circlesreferenced 11 and viewing windows 21, the display in the viewing slot 30for three successive doses is situated in three different positions insaid viewing slot 30, i.e. a top position, as shown in FIG. 1, a centralposition, and a bottom position. The dose that follows the dosedisplayed in the bottom position in the stationary viewing slot 30 isonce again displayed in the top position. In reality, this correspondsto the sets E of viewing windows 21 that successively display successivedose numbers in different radial positions in the stationary viewingslot 30. When passing on to the following set E, the same sequencebegins and so on.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 including sixty-threeindicator numbers and/or symbols and twenty-one viewing windows, andwith first and second rotary disks that advantageously have respectivediameters of about 55 mm and 45 mm, each time the device is actuated,the first rotary disk 10 is caused to turn through an angle α, and thesecond disk 20 is caused to turn simultaneously through an angle 3α/2.More precisely, in this embodiment, the angle α is equal to 22.86° andthe angle 3α/2 is equal to 34.28°. Naturally, with a different number ofdoses and/or with different disk dimensions, the distribution of theindicator numbers and/or symbols could be different, and all of theparameters could thus be adapted so as to obtain, once again, an optimumsize for each indicator number and/or symbol written on the first rotarydisk 10. The same applies for the distribution of the viewing windows 21on the second rotary disk 20. A mathematical model makes it possible tooptimize the relationships between the dimensions of the rotary disks10, 20, the number of doses to be indicated, and the resulting positionsand sizes of the indicator numbers and/or symbols 11 on the first rotarydisk 10, and of the viewing windows on the second rotary disk 20.Changing the shape(s) and size(s) of one or more sets of teeth 15, 16,26 also provides an adjustable parameter.

The present invention therefore makes it possible to provide largerindicator numbers and/or symbols on a single disk, thereby simplifyingthe manufacture, assembly, and operation of the indicator device, whileproviding the user with information that is more legible.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of actuator means of the indicator device ofthe present invention. In this embodiment, a flexible tab 41 secured toan actuator portion 40 of the fluid dispenser device co-operates with afirst peripheral set of teeth 15, in this embodiment an outer set ofteeth, provided on the first rotary disk 10. The first rotary disk 10further includes a second peripheral set of teeth 16, in this embodimentan inner set of teeth, that co-operates with a third peripheral set ofteeth 26 provided on the second rotary disk 20. In FIG. 4, which is adiagrammatic view from below, it should be observed that the firstrotary disk 10 advantageously is not solid, but, rather, has a hole inits center, such that the portion of the second rotary disk 20 thatincludes the set of teeth 26 on its periphery penetrates into thecentral opening of the first rotary disk 10, said central opening havingan edge that is formed by the second set of teeth 16. In this way, eachtime the resilient tab 41 causes the first rotary disk 10 to turn, saidfirst rotary disk causes the second rotary disk 20 to turn by means ofthe second set of teeth 16 co-operating with the third set of teeth 26.Naturally, other actuator means can thus be envisaged. Naturally,anti-return means and the like can be provided so as to prevent thedisks from turning in the opposite direction to the direction imposed bythe actuator means.

Although the present invention is described above with reference to aparticular embodiment thereof, it is clear that it is not limited bysaid embodiment, and on the contrary, any useful modification could beapplied thereto by a person skilled in the art, without going beyond theambit of the present invention, as defined by the accompanying claims.

1. A dose-indicator device for using with a dispenser device fordispensing fluid or powder, in particular a pharmaceutical, so as toindicate the number of doses that have been emitted or that remain to beemitted from the dispenser device, the indicator device beingcharacterized in that it comprises a first rotary disk (10) and a secondrotary disk (20) that is preferably opaque, said first disk (10)including indicator numbers and/or symbols (11) that are disposed inperipheral manner about the axis of rotation (X) of said first rotarydisk (10) around at least two concentric circles, and said second disk(20) including at least one viewing window (21).
 2. A device accordingto claim 1, in which said second rotary disk (20) includes viewingwindows (21) that cooperate successively and/or alternately withindicator numbers and/or symbols (11) that are disposed around differentconcentric circles.
 3. A device according to claim 1, in which saidsecond disk (20) includes a plurality of viewing windows (21) that aredisposed in peripheral manner about the axis of rotation (Y) of saidsecond rotary disk (20) around at least two concentric circles.
 4. Adevice according to claim 3, in which the number of concentric circlesof indicator numbers and/or symbols (11) on the first rotary disk (10)is identical to the number of concentric circles of viewing windows (21)on the second rotary disk (20).
 5. A device according to claim 1, inwhich said second disk (20) includes at least one set (E) of viewingwindows (21), each set (E) comprising at least two windows (21) that aremutually offset both radially and peripherally.
 6. A device according toclaim 5, in which said second disk (20) includes a plurality of similarsets (E) of viewing windows (21) that are distributed peripherally aboutthe axis of rotation (Y) of said disk (20).
 7. A device according toclaim 1, in which the axes of rotation (X, Y) of the first and secondrotary disks (10, 20) are mutually offset.
 8. A device according toclaim 1, in which the diameter of the first disk (10) is greater thanthe diameter of the second disk (20).
 9. A device according to claim 8,in which said first and second rotary disks (10, 20) are tangential at apoint on their outer peripheries.
 10. A device according to claim 1, inwhich said second disk (20) is superposed on said first disk (10), saidtwo disks (10, 20) co-operating with a stationary viewing slot (30) ofthe device, such that a respective indicator number and/or symbol (11)of the first disk (10) is visible in said viewing slot (30), through arespective viewing window (21) of the second disk (20).
 11. A deviceaccording to claim 10, in which the positions of the indicator numbersand/or symbols (11) on the first disk (10) and the positions of theviewing windows (21) on the second disk (20) are predetermined, suchthat each time the device is actuated, a single indicator number and/orsymbol (11) is visible in said stationary viewing slot (30) of thedevice, through a single viewing window (21) of the second disk (20).12. A device according to claim 1, in which said first disk (10)includes a first peripheral set of teeth (15) that co-operates withactuator means (40, 41) that are adapted to cause said first disk (10)to turn about its axis of rotation (X) and a second peripheral set ofteeth (16), said second disk (20) including a third peripheral set ofteeth (26) that co-operates with said second peripheral set of teeth(16) of said first disk (10), such that turning the first disk (10)causes the second disk (20) to turn.
 13. A device according to claim 1,in which, on said first disk (10), each indicator number and/or symbol(11) occupies a space having a surface area of at least 8 mm2,advantageously at least 10 mm2, and preferably at least 12 mm2.
 14. Adevice according to claim 1, in which said first disk (10) includes atleast sixty indicator numbers and/or symbols (11), advantageouslysixty-three, distributed around three concentric circles about the axisof rotation (X) of the first disk (10).
 15. A device according to claim1, in which said second disk (20) includes twenty-one viewing windows(21) forming seven sets (E) of three windows (21), said seven sets (E)being distributed peripherally about the axis of rotation (Y) of thesecond disk (20), said three windows (21) of each set (E) being mutuallyoffset both radially and peripherally.
 16. A device according to claim1, in which said first disk (10) has a diameter of about 55 mm and/orthe second disk (20) has a diameter of about 45 mm.
 17. A deviceaccording to claim 1, in which, each time the device is actuated, thefirst disk (10) is caused to turn through an angle α, and the seconddisk (20) is caused to turn simultaneously through an angle 3α/2.
 18. Adevice according to claim 16, in which the angle α is equal to 22.86°and the angle 3α/2 is equal to 34.28°.
 19. A fluid or powder dispenserdevice, characterized in that it includes a dose-indicator deviceaccording to claim
 1. 20. A device according to claim 19, in which theindicator device is actuated each time the fluid dispenser device isactuated.